R. Roth1, M. Koch2, J. Schaab2, M. Lilienblum2, T. Thurn-Albrecht1, and K. Dörr1
1Institute of Physics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06099 Halle, Germany
2Department of Materials, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10,
8093 Zürich, Switzerland
Ferroelectric polymers are attractive candidates for functional layers in electronic devices like non-volatile memories, piezo- and magnetoelectric sensors, and capacitor-based high speed energy storage devices. Unfortunately, such thin films often reveal low di- and piezoelectric responses due to reduced crystalline and electrical dipole order, leading to compensation effects and low effective electric performance. One of the best characterized and often applied ferroelectric polymers is poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)). We will present results on micron-sized domains with three dimensional ferroelectric polarization alignment in P(VDF-TrFE) films on graphite. The ferroelectric domains have been achieved by a combined procedure of electrical poling and mechanical annealing with an atomic force microscopy tip. They show strongly increased lateral and vertical piezoresponse compared to the as-prepared film and can be deliberately written and switched.